A widely used clinical assessment of the appropriateness of a person’s weight is the body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index. This value is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.

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Fitness Professional’s Handbook, Sixth Edition, meets the demands of the evolving fitness profession with a fully updated text based on the latest standards, guidelines, and research from the authorities in the field. With the expanded scope on the study of physical activity and its relevance to fitness, numerous ancillaries, and material that reflects the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines, this text will allow both students and professionals to stay abreast of the latest research and information in the field.

This full-color text serves as an essential resource for those seeking professional certification and an invaluable reference for those already certified and striving to stay informed amid ongoing advances in research. Fitness Professional’s Handbook, Sixth Edition, incorporates information from the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the eighth edition of ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. It also includes the American Health Association exercise and physical activity recommendations for adults, older adults, children, and those with special needs.

Every chapter has been updated, allowing readers to explore the newest theories and research findings and apply them to real-world situations. The following are among the most significant changes to the sixth edition:

Expanded case studies to ensure that every chapter includes practical learning experiences for readers

Addition of the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) designed to measure aerobic capacity

Updates based on the most recent dietary guidelines and current standards for nutrient intake, including information on USDA meal patterns (My Plate), the DASH diet, and Mediterranean diet patterns

New sections on how physical activity is measured and how to use the compendium of physical activities to calculate energy expenditure

Introduction to the Exercise Is Medicine program of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association, a global initiative to make physical activity and exercise a standard part of disease prevention and treatment

Inclusion of some of the newest ACSM position statements, including strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight gain, the female athlete triad, and exercise testing and prescription for those with diabetes

A new chapter on legal considerations that provides a basic understanding of the legal system as it relates to the fitness profession and describes why it is essential that fitness professionals develop their knowledge in the area of legal liability and risk management

With this text, students with little or no background in fitness testing and prescription will learn to screen participants, carry out standardized fitness tests to evaluate major components of fitness, and write appropriate fitness prescriptions. They will also learn how to apply this information to special populations, including children, older adults, women, and those with chronic disease (such as hypertension) or a specific condition (such as pregnancy). To aid readers in comprehension, the text retains the best features of previous editions, such as reproducible forms, key points, sidebars, questions and answers to case studies, key terms and glossary, and extensive references. Instructors will find an array of ancillaries to assist in teaching their courses, and the text’s attention to detail regarding the most common fitness tests allows it to be seamlessly integrated into lab experiences associated with fitness assessment.

Fitness Professional’s Handbook, Sixth Edition, provides comprehensive information on the fundamentals of fitness, exercise physiology, and biomechanics. Readers will better understand the role of physical activity in the quality of life and guidelines for screening, testing, supervising, and modifying activity for various populations. As such, it is a useful text for students and a valuable reference for practitioners.

A text for upper-level undergraduate and beginning graduate students in fitness testing and exercise prescription courses as well as those studying exercise physiology and biomechanics; also a reference for health and fitness professionals and those preparing for certification, including the ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist designation.

Edward T. Howley, PhD, FACSM, FNAK, earned his bachelor’s degree from Manhattan College and his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He then completed a one-year postdoctoral appointment at Penn State University and was hired in 1970 as a faculty member at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Howley taught a variety of courses, including an undergraduate course in fitness testing and prescription and undergraduate and graduate courses in exercise physiology. He retired in 2007 and holds the rank of professor emeritus.

In addition to the previous editions of this book, Dr. Howley has authored three books, four book chapters, and 61 research articles dealing with exercise physiology, fitness testing, and prescription. He is a fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology and served as chair of the Science Board of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 2006-2007. In 2007-08 he served on the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee that evaluated the science related to physical activity and health and generated a report for use by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to write the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Most of Dr. Howley’s volunteer efforts have been with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He was involved in the development of certification programs and served as president in 2002-03. He served as editor in chief of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal for seven years and as chair of the program planning committee for the annual ACSM Health and Fitness Summit meeting. In 2007, Howley was recognized for his professional contributions with the ACSM Citation Award. In his leisure time, he likes to golf, ride his bike, travel, and play with his grandchildren.

Dixie L. Thompson, PhD, FACSM, FNAK, is a professor and head of the department of kinesiology, recreation, and sport studies at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She is also the director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health at the university. She graduated from the 2008 class of the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) Bryn Mawr Summer Institute, held at Bryn Mawr College. The Summer Institute is a professional development program dedicated to the advancement of female leaders in administration of higher education. She also participated in the 2009-2010 Academic Leadership Development Program sponsored by the Southeastern Conference Academic Consortium.Dr. Thompson focuses her research on the health benefits of exercise for women and techniques used for body composition assessment. She is the author of over 60 peer-reviewed publications and articles for fitness professionals and general audiences. She is a former associate editor in chief for ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal and is currently the editor in chief for ACSM's Fit Society Page Newsletter.

Dr. Thompson is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology. She is active in professional societies and is a past president of the Southeast Chapter of ACSM. She is also a former chair of the Physical Fitness Council for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Dr. Thompson received her BA in physical education and MA in exercise physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her PhD from the University of Virginia.

“Covering many topics that fitness professionals may encounter, the book provides information ranging from the basic science of exercise all the way to designing an exercise program for special populations. The text is well supported with pictures and figures to help illustrate key points as well as well-thought-out, real-world examples.”

Test package. The test package includes a bank of over 700 questions, including true-or-false, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer/essay questions covering the key information of each chapter.

Presentation package plus image bank. The presentation package plus image bank includes approximately 540 PowerPoint slides of text, art, and tables that instructors can use for class discussion and illustration. Instructors can easily add, modify, and rearrange the order of the slides as well as search for images based on key words, and use these images in their own class presentations.